Ringlink, Scotland’s largest agriculturally based machinery and labour co-operative, has posted record trading figures.

With a 12% increase in throughput over the previous twelve months, the co-operative had a turnover over £20m.

Total turnover for the year ended 31st July 2007 was £20.2m against £17.8m for the previous financial year. Profits also rose by 22% to £56,576.

Membership also grew with 164 new members bringing the total to 2232 farmers and suppliers.

Looking beyond the figures, Ringlink chairman Mark Ogg highlighted his concern over the future supply of labour within the farming industry.

In his chairman’s report, Mr Ogg said that highly skilled workers were in very short supply and without properly trained operators today’s high capacity machinery was useless.

“If we wish to retain a good workforce and encourage the next generation to come into the industry, we need to make farming more attractive and rewarding to our workforce,” said Mr Ogg.

One particular area of concern to Ringlink was that half of all farm work in arable areas of the country is nowadays compressed into a three month period around harvest.

The 2007 harvest, with little or no breaks due to bad weather, has highlighted the pressure there is on workers in this relatively short period.

The worries of Ringlink’s chairman over future labour supply also relate to the unskilled sector where he admits that there has been a great reliance on foreign labour over the past few years.

“As the economies of their own countries pick up and legislation changes, more are staying at home. This is making it harder to source and supply this market,” he warned.

A further concern was the move earlier this week by the UK government to place limits on the number of workers from non EU states coming to this country.